


All Things Better With Time

by muse_of_mbaku



Series: All Things Better With Time [1]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 01:43:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14760200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muse_of_mbaku/pseuds/muse_of_mbaku
Summary: They’ve always been in each other’s lives. From childhood to adulthood, their stories have been intertwined. Now, as the Jabari tribe takes its rightful place in Wakanda, M’Baku and the woman who knows him best in the world must decide if their paths are diverging.





	1. Chapter 1

“Thought I’d slide past the walls of your heart like you’re from the fly taking my time before revealing my true intention, but you’re so impossible to suggest when you like us just the way we is. Please pardon me for my interjection. I long for you. It kills me to pretend I’m not in love when I just am, but you don’t understand that we’re such damn good friends. We could be a whole lot more, we could be a whole lot more, but we’re such damn good friends.” 

-Damn Good Friends by Elle Varner 

 

“Why would you do that?” Despite the harshness of your voice, the pressure with which you cleaned the wound on M’Baku’s forehead was gentle. Applying pressure to the cut and gesturing for him to hold the gauze there, you turned towards the small tray of sterilized instruments at your hip.

“It was challenge day,” he said simply. As if that was a sufficient answer.

“And? You want nothing to do with what goes on in the valley, yet you show up wanting to take the mantle. It makes no sense, M’Baku.” You grasped the suture kit on the tray and turned back to see him eyeing you.

“It makes perfect sense. This nation is far too dependent on technology. What do we have if that fails? What skill sets do the citizens possess?” His voice rose a bit and you raised an eyebrow at him. “At least here, we thrive without it. We do not need vibranium in our blood,” he finished in a lowered tone.

“And that is why you rule here. We have always been self-sufficient. It’s been that way for generations. They haven’t made an effort to come up the mountain and we should make no effort to go down.”

You removed his thick fingers from the gauze and checked the wound again. The blood had clotted, but it needed to be closed with a few quick stitches. “Look at this! Marking up that pretty face of yours.”

His boisterous laugh was one you’d heard since you’d met him as a child. His eyes would light up and the sound of chuckles could be heard loudly across any space he occupied. You were thankful you were one of the people closest to him. You certainly respected M’Baku as the ruler of the tribe into which you’d been born, but you also cherished him as your oldest friend.

“Ah, but I have the best doctor the Jabari have to offer to make sure I’ll be fine. Or you could make sure I have a scar. It will make me more intimidating, right?” 

“Intimidating? Who told you that?”

You had to steady yourself when he set his face into a grimace and began to grunt.

“Ooooh! Great Gorilla M’Baku! Please spare me!” You slapped his shoulder and wiped your eyes. “Seriously, let me stitch this and then I’ll make sure there aren’t any more dents and dings to our great ruler.”

A few minutes later, you’d successfully sutured the cut and found only minimal scratches and scrapes. For a man who’d just engaged in ritual combat, he was in remarkably good shape. You said a silent prayer to Hanuman that his life had been spared. You knew that underneath his laughter, he was furious with himself and perhaps even a bit embarrassed. There weren’t many things he was used to losing, let alone in front of an audience.

“Now what?” you asked, packing your supplies into the leather bag he’d gifted you when your medical training was over. Despite what most in the Golden City seemed to think, the Jabari weren’t cave dwelling savages. They had extensive libraries, educational programs, and a plethora of brilliant minds that made sure their people were well educated, fed, and healthy. Your education had included both modern and traditional medicine and your services were in high demand among the tribe. However, your primary duty was as M’Baku’s personal physician. Thankfully, his robust health allowed you time to treat other patients. You were grateful he was kind hearted and didn’t feel the need to hoard your skill.

“I continue to ensure the safety and prosperity of my people.” Another matter of fact statement except this time it made sense. “Thank you for your care and council.”

“It is my pleasure, my king.” Neither of you could stop the wide smiles that broke across your faces. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. You’re my amandla (strength).”

“And you are my ntliziyo (heart).”

You’d used those nicknames for years. M’Baku was your muscle. The very sight of him, regardless of his lineage, was enough to quash any disrespect or harm that would come your way. You were his heart, offering him advice that others may be afraid to give and challenging him in ways that didn’t happen often.

M’Baku rose to his feet, towering over you. “How are you holding up?” His voice was gentle and you glanced up from the medical instruments in your hands.

“As well as can be expected, I suppose.” You were proud of yourself. Your voice hadn’t broken and you hadn’t been consumed with rage. “Life goes on.”

The set of M’Baku’s jaw made you quite aware that he wasn’t feeling as amicable. “My offer still stands.”

“No. You cannont kill him. Nor can you maim him. Don’t you think the real punishment is losing me?” You laughed, but it didnt reach your eyes. He could tell and his jaw tightened even more.

“He’s a fool. Praise Hanuman you learned his true nature early. Any man that could look at you and cast that aside is not of sound mind.” M’Baku ran a large hand down your back. You felt the same calm you always had. Steady. Constant. Warm.

“Perhaps...” your voice trailed off. “What’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”

He eyed you again, but held his toungue. He knew when not to push you. On the topic of your ex-bethrothed, Kiso, he’d been overbearing until you reminded him you were very much able to take care of yourself.

“Taking a ride with my favorite girl if she’s up to it.”

“She is. I’ll meet you at the stables in an hour.”

 

Childhood:

Each morning, just after the sun made its full appearance on the horizon, the stable staff would find the two of them together. Side by side, breath clouding ahead of them, they could be found saddling their horses. For neither of them was this their lot. The boy, M’Baku, was heir to all that lay before them. He was the Jabaris’ shining prince, a whole head taller than the other boys even at his young age. Strong, agile, and imposing as he was kind, M’Baku could have started his mornings anywhere but there.

The girl, Y/N, was the daughter of the commander of the royal guard. Her father, the constant companion of M’Baku’s patriarch, was trusted with the very lives of the family that had embraced his as their own. In time, his daughter would become one of the shining jewels of their people. Independent, wily, and intelligent beyond measure, he’d hoped his wife would have been around to see her grow. Y/N, like the boy beside her, could have been anywhere but there.

In the brisk mountain air, the two of them mounted their horses and rode out into the mornings together. Horses haunch to haunch, this was their time. Away from their families. Away from the upholding of tradition and expectation. Away from everything. This morning was no different.

“I am sorry about your mother, Y/N,” M’Baku called quietly to her. She flicked her eyes towards him and nodded.

“Thank you. I am not sure what to do.” Her voice broke. “Baba looks so sad. I think he is afraid.”

“Of what?”

“Taking care of me. He says he is not sure how to raise a girl.”

M’Baku’s face cracked into a smile. “Who said you’re a girl? You’re a loser!”

He clicked his boots against his horse’s side and took off into the snowy expanse ahead of them. Y/N quickly followed suit. The peals of their laughter bounced off of trees and rocks, echoing loudly. When Y/N finally caught him, he’d slowed to a stop at the edge of a peak. Before them, small clusters of homes were filled with families just coming to life. And beyond that, the grand rise of his family’s palace stood proudly against the sky. He dismounted. She followed and took a place beside him.

“Don’t worry. He won’t be alone. I’ll take care of you, too. Ndiyathembisa (I promise). ”

It was a matter of fact statement. For any adult listening, it was the promise of a child unaware he had no power to keep it, but for Y/N she knew it was a fact, unmovable as the mountain on which they stood.


	2. Chapter 2

Recommended Listening: Ice King by Res and Calls by Robert Glasper feat. JIll Scott

The haze of late afternoon was just cresting over the hill when M’Baku made his final approach to the stables. Off in the distance he watched Y/N propped against the fencing around the corral. The top portion of her body was bent at the waist as she stroked the muzzle of the horse in front of her. A small glint of light hit her cheek and M’Baku stilled. She was crying. Instinct prodded him to go to her, but he’d known her long enough to know she’d arrived early for a reason. He’d fall back if only for a moment.

Y/N had been in his life for so long that they fit together without much thought. With her father being charged with his family’s protection, she’d grown up beside him. The amount of mischief they caused inside and outside of the palace was the stuff of legend and where one of them ventured most knew the other wasn’t too far out of reach. He’d be untruthful if he didn’t admit when her studies had taken her to live in the city for long stretches of time that he missed her presence.

Even before he ascended to the throne, she was one of the only people who challenged his word. She was inquisitive and at times her incessant whys grated on his soul. But he indulged her. His patience wearing thin, he approached while making just enough noise to alert her of his presence. He spied her wiping a hand across her cheeks and sighing deeply.

“Ntliziyo, is everything well with you?” Y/N hopped from the fence after a final pat to the massive animal’s shining coat.

“Yes. I just wanted to check out the newest arrivals to your evergrowing collection of steeds,” she tried to joke and failed. He would let that go without remark. “Ready to go?”

After a nod in the affirmative they took time saddling and prepping their own horses, brushing away the bevy of stable hands who’d rushed to do so for them. This ritual, decades old, was quickly filled with the same chatter as it had always been. M’Baku watched her shoulders ease and eventually the tension leaving her eyes. As much as he needed their time together to lessen the sting of the day’s battle, he knew she needed it as well. The woman’s heart was broken. Save her request, he would not have stood for it. And technically he hadn’t, but there was no need for her to know about his visit to Kiso and the fear he’d placed in the man’s heart. The visit hadn’t been as king, rather of a man protecting one of the most important people in his life. The man’s cowardice, asking for her hand in both ceremony and then again personally, then retracting it for another was cause for more than just dishonor. It was cause for M’Baku’s hand gripped around his throat. He snarled.

“What’s wrong, amandla?” She looked concerned. He relaxed his face.

“Nothing. Let’s head out.”

“Hmm,” she remarked while mounting the silvery gray stallion and adjusting the fur hood around her face. “If you say so.”

He gave her a wink as he swung his body onto the back of the chestnut colored steed he’d been given as a child. He raced out of the stable with Y/N quickly on his heels. They kept up a furious pace, passing tribe members who bowed briefly in respect to him, until they reached the open spaces of the city’s perimeter. It was then they slowed and rode silently side by side for several long moments.

“Why did you visit Kiso?” Her question broke the comfortable silence. He signed heavily.

“Does this man’s lack of integrity know no bounds?”

“Not the point, M’Baku.”

“Because he needed to learn not to harm things that are important to me.”

“Ah! So it was about you? I’m pretty sure I’m the one who hears the whispers behind her back.” Her voice was angry.

He opened his mouth and she quieted him with a raised hand. “No! You will not speak to anyone. There will be no royal pronouncement. And you are forbidden from talking to him again. Understand me?”

M’Baku’s eyes widened. No one spoke to him in such a manner. He held her gaze. “You forget your place?” In an instant, he knew he’d gone too far.

“My place? Ah! Yes, your highness, I had. My apologies. I bid you a good evening,” she quipped sarcastically before launching her horse full speed away from him. By the time he shook himself out of shock, she’d crested the hill and was out of sight.

Slowing his horse, he would just meet her back at the stables. He’d been an ass. The day had been a challenge. He’d awaken thinking by the time night fell he’d be ruler of Wakanda and would be on his way to making sure the nation did things the right way. Instead, he’d asserted power over the one person he never needed to. Y/N had always been free to speak her mind. He’d welcomed it. In this instance, he’d forgetten his place and done something she expressly asked him not to. When he returned to the stables, he’d apologize and set things right. He made a mental note to have the kitchen make her the flourless cacao cake she loved.

The glowing light of the stables loomed ahead of him and he dismounted to walk the remainder of the way. Once in the warmth of the heated building, he handed the reins to the closest man and headed to where Y/N’s horse was quartered. It was empty.

“Has she returned?” he questioned of the hand nearest the vacant stall. The man shook his head in the negative.

Don’t panic M’Baku thought to himself. The sun had just set and she knew her way home like the back of her hand. She was probably trying to make him upset. He’d give her that.

An hour later, there was still no sight of Y/N and M’Baku allowed himself to panic. He gathered his personal guard and set out into the night to look for her. Drifts of snow had started to fall and he was thankful for the heavier cloak he now had around his shoulders. Y/N still donned her lighter riding gear and he bristled. The sight of a riderless horse barreling towards them stopped the group of men in their tracks. The silvery gray of the animal came into full view in the light of the stables. Y/N’s horse without her had found its way home. M’Baku’s throat dried as he watched the animal corralled and sheltered for the evening. He steeled himself. His mission was of a singular goal. Find Y/N and bring her home.

***

Of course, it would start to snow you fumed, while trudging in nearly knee-deep drifts. Clutching the hood closer around your head, you squinted into the distance. Blackness barely lit by a starry sky was all you could see. After you’d taken off and left M’Baku in your wake, you’d taken an alternate path. You’d known he’d meet you back at the stables with an apology and eventually a laugh. You were too angry for that.

Had you forgotten your place? How dare he! Yes, you were one of his subjects, but never in the years of your friendship had he ever treated you as an underling. “There’s a first time for everything,” you spat out into the wind.

What you hadn’t counted on in your anger was the slip of the horse’s hooves on the rocky surface coated with ice. Before you could react, you’d tumbled from the saddle and the horse had taken off before you could grab the reins. Now, it was dark, snowing, and you were miles from home. If your current pace held, it would be hours before you made it back to the warmth and safety of the city center. Or you could find shelter and wait until morning. You knew, that despite your argument, M’Baku would look for you once he returned and realized you weren’t there. He may be a brute at times, but you had no doubt in your mind he loved you.

You took shelter under a small outcropping of stone. It wasn’t ideal, but at least for the moment the whip of the wind was broken and you could rest your feet. However, the respite you thought you had couldn’t last long. Without the movement of your body, the cold had started to seep into your skin. Staying there overnight was not possible in the least. You readjusted your clothing and stepped back into the storm.

You’d lost track of time before you spied the bounce of lights on the horizon. You pressed forward until you saw the outline of the man you wanted to punch and hug at the same time. M’Baku was leading a charge of men directly towards you. You stopped walking to save what little energy you had left. He brought the horse to a bracing halt in front of you and jumped the ground with no pretense. He pulled you into his arms, the fur and leather of his cloak wrapping you in his scent and the heat of his body. For a moment you were grateful.

“Your highness,” you greeted while bowing tightly. His brow furrowed. “Thank you for the search party.”

His growl was loud enough for you to hear, but based on everyone’s unmoving stances, not loud enough for anyone else to register.

The worry tinged with frustration on his face let you know he was in no mood to joke. Good. He felt exactly the same as you. Gesturing to the man closest to you while he mounted his horse, you felt yourself lifted from your feet and placed into his arms. You shot daggers into the face of the man adjusting you on the saddle in front of him, his cloak now sheltering the both of you. You were angry, but you weren’t crazy. You were nearly soaked through, shivering, and chattering. The heat of M’Baku against your back was something you wouldn’t deny yourself at the moment. You leaned back into him and felt the air rush from his body. He seemed contented. Clucking a quiet command to the horse, he lead the small party of men back towards your homes. Soon, the gentle sway of the animal and the heavy arm anchoring you to M’Baku lulled you to sleep. You were exhausted, but safe with the man who’d ensure that until his last breath.

Sometime later, the warmth of your name being called next to your ear woke you from slumber.

“Y/N, we’re here.” M’Baku lifted you into the arms of the same guard who’d aided him before and once he’d dismounted he gathered you again. Giving a command to those lingering, he stalked through the blowing snow with you in his arms, headed towards his chambers and the roar of an awaiting fire.

The tension was palpable as he handed you a stack of clothing. Having being there many times before, you retreated to his massive bathroom and changed into the long-sleeved pullover and thick socks. Binding your hair atop your head with a length of fabric, you re-entered the room to find him stoking the fire dressed in the matching pair of bottoms to the top you wore. His chest rippled as he stood and approached you.

“Warm?” His gaze swept over you in concern.

“Not quite, but I’ll be fine,” you murmured while taking a seat on a fur throw in front of the large hearth. He took a seat next to you and watched as you pulled your legs to your chin.

“You should have never taken off like that,” he chastised.

“I wasn’t fit to be in the presence of the king. With my forgetting my place and all.”

“For Hanuman’s sake, Y/N! I didn’t mean that! When have I ever treated you in such a manner?”

“Tonight. And when you spoke with Kiso. I don’t need protecting.”

“It’s never been a problem before. Why now?”

You took a moment to stare into the fire and answered without looking at him, “Embarrassment. Shame. I’m not immune to what people gossip about, M’Baku.”

“Small minds are the only ones concerned about your personal affairs. There is nothing for you to be ashamed of. That onus is on him.”

You nodded, but still kept your eyes to the fire. When a shiver ran through you, he pulled you from the floor and guided you to the bed. You’d slept many a night in this exact room so you climbed to your side and pulled the blankets over your shoulder. The dip of the mattress announced M’Baku’s arrival and a moment later your body slid across the sheets and directly into a solid wall of muscle.

“Go to sleep, ntliziyo. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“I’m still mad at you.” Your voice softened and as slumber took you again, you heard his laughter in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Recommended Listening: Complexity by The Roots, Halfcrazy by Musiq Soulchild, and Picture Perfect by Eric Roberson feat. Phonte

The sharp elbow digging into M’Baku’s ribs broke his slumber. When he opened his eyes, Y/N was moving her arm to strike him again. He caught her elbow and wrestled her beneath him. She didn’t look amused. Y/N contorted her body and nearly escaped his grasp. She’d been practicing and he was thoroughly impressed.

“Good morning to you, too,” he laughed.

“You were snoring.”

“And that differs from any other time you’d shared my bed in what way?” 

“It’s annoying and I’m ready to go. Hard to do that when I’m being held captive by a giant.” 

He moved his bulk from above her and rested his back against the headboard.

“How long must we do this? I apologize. I was out of line.”

“You’re damn right! Don’t ever speak to me like that again.” She sniffled and then sneezed before making a quick retreat to the bathroom.

When she emerged, tousled and still sleepy eyed, M’Baku found it hard to look away for the briefest of moments. She’d always been beautiful. There’d never been a time he hadn’t reminded her of how Hanuman had blessed her. She sneezed again while testing the dampness of her clothing which was hung near the fire. Gathering them into her arms, she turned back to look at him.

“I’ll be out of your way in a moment.”

“No need. We’ll have breakfast and then you’re going to get some rest.”

M’Baku barely heard her muttered response before the bathroom door slammed hard enough to rattle a coat of arms mounted next to it.

By the time she emerged, the heavy wooden table positioned next to the wall of windows was laden with enough food for a small army. He waited until she was seated and picking over her plate of fresh fruit and sweet breads before speaking again.

“What’s really bothering you? What I said cannot be the root of such hostility.” He took a sip of the darkly roasted coffee in front of him followed by a hearty bite of Danish. “Hmmm? Let us resolve this and move on.”

Y/N looked at M’Baku over the rim of her glass. Swallowing, she placed it next to her plate. “Is there something wrong with me? Am I missing something?” The question was quiet and M’Baku had never seen her look so unsure of herself. He checked the anger rising inside him.

“Mnandi (sweetheart), why would such a thought enter your mind? Because of Kiso?”

“Yes...no. I just feel invisible. Perhaps that’s why I was so open to his proposal. Who really sees me, M’Baku? Sure, I can take care of those in need, but outside of that?” She pushed a chunk of melon around her plate and refused to meet his eyes. M’Baku moved his dishes to the side and placed both elbows on the table as he leaned towards her. He willed his voice to be soft. “I see you. And it’s a wonderful sight.”

“You are different, amandla. To the world, I don’t exist. Or at least it feels that way.” Her words were wistful in a way that sat heavy on his heart. “Life is moving rapidly and I feel so unanchored.”

“What do you need to feel anchored? Tell me and I will provide it.”

She smiled weakly at him. “Forever my warrior. I have no doubt you’d move this very mountain for me. This, however, I don’t think you can fix.”

Breakfast finsihed in silence and before M’Baku was ready to let Y/N return to her own quarters she’d hugged him briefly and disappeared out into the bustle of the village.

***

Like every other day in recent memory, you made your way through the village with what seemed like the bare minimum interaction. People were friendly, but you still felt disconnected. Stopping by one of the market stalls dotting your way home, you purchased a few items for that evening’s dinner before making the final leg of your trek. You’d been honest in what you’d told M’Baku. You felt invisible. Or at least only partially seen. Outside of him, there wasn’t a person you truly believed knew you wholly. Be honest with yourself, you mused. You wanted a man to see you, to really and deeply choose you.

You were fairly convinced the only reason Kiso had gravitated towards you was the prestige you could bring his name. The village’s doctor who was the daughter of the royal commander? You’d been nothing more than a rung on the social ladder to him and you’d fallen for it. But he was easy on the eyes and successful in his own right. And he’d said all the right things and performed all the right actions consistently enough for you to let down your guard. It was an epic mistake.

Lighting the interior of your home, you tossed your riding cloak onto a low bench near the door and sank onto the cushion to remove your boots. You were exhausted. Normally, you slept like the dead in M’Baku’s bed. Last night was not normal. After he’d slid your body across the mattress and into his arms you’d fumed for a time before settling into the warmth of his chest and syncing your breathing with his. The weight of his arm felt perfect across your waist and you’d snuggled deeper into his body. In his sleep, he culled you tighter and grazed his lips against your neck. You’d stilled, hoping against your better judgement he’d do it again. He hadn’t. And yes, he snored, but it was really nothing more than the sound of his breath pushing from his slighthy parted lips. You’d just been annoyed at yourself for giving even momentary thought to M’Baku as anything more than your closest friend. When you’d awaken to his muscled arm still locking you to his body, your head tucked beneath his chin, the reminder of your loneliness had come crashing down around you.

Evening came with the sight of the homes around you glowing in the darkness, each of them filled with families and love. Evening found you standing in the kitchen, chopping and dicing ingridents for a soup you’d hoped would warm you from the inside out. You were watching the soup boil absentmindedly when the sound of a heavy fist broke you from your thoughts. Standing in the waning light of the day, M’Baku dipped his body below the threshold and entered.

“Hey...” The rest of your statement was cut off by his lips descending and resting on yours. The items in his hand dropped to the floor, leaving him free to cup your face in both hands. He kissed you senseless and when he was done, he lifted his face towards yours.

“I see you, sithandwa sam.”


	4. Chapter 4

Recommended Listening: Til the Cops Come Knockin’ by Maxwell and Anytime, Anyplace by Janet Jackson

“Hi,” M’Baku said sheepishly. Bashful was an emotion that had rarely ever reared its head when it came to him. He was usually bold and there was very little gray area when it came to what he felt. “I brought you a cake.”

M’Baku had hovered around the kitchen staff for as long as he could before they politely asked him to leave. He’d wanted to oversee the baking of the cake he’d carelessly dropped to the floor a moment ago. He’d never been a perfectionist, but this was important. The head chef had practically shoved the wrapped box into his hand and shooed him away with a smile.

When he’d neared the door to Y/N’s home, he spied her through the window. She’d chopped and stirred and tasted with a restless look he knew well. She wasn’t content and neither was he. With a hip propped against the counter, the thickness of her thighs had pressed snugly into the fabric of the emerald green harem pants she wore. The matching shirt grazed her belly button and he found himself intrigued by the exposed brown skin of her midriff. Her body was filled out in way that made his loins ache. His mouth had dried and he wondered if a hasty retreat was the best option. Then Jabari pride had overruled and he was pounding his fist against her door. Now, as she stood before him dazed, any doubt had been erased.

“Had you not left earlier, I would have kissed you then.” M’Baku studided her,checking for signs of her thinking of ways to escape. He spied her mouth beginning to move and stopped her short. “Why? That is what you were going to ask, correct?”

She rolled her eyes before shrugging her shoulders.

“Because you are what completes my day. You are the first person I want to speak with each morning. Because I’ve watched you grow into a remarkable woman I am proud to call my ntliziyo.”

He could tell she was at a loss for words, but she did not run and for that he was glad. Gathering his discarded items in hand, he unwrapped the cake, hoping he hadn’t ruined it. Praise Hanuman it was intact. “I had the kitchen make this for you. A peace offering. I’d planned to give you one that night you went missing,” his voice steeled as he remembered the fear of losing her.

“Amandla, you didn’t have to,” she gestured towards the cake. “And you didn’t have to pity kiss me either. I’m quite adept at being alone.”

“You believe I kissed you as pity? Do you not realize your own worth?”

“Knowing my worth and having someone else recognize it are entirely different things, M’Baku.”

He furrowed his brow. “Book smart, but not heart smart,” he muttered. A finger poked into his chest.

“Say it louder!”

“I said you’re book smart, not heart smart. Let yourself feel something, Y/N. It’s okay.”

The cross of her arms over her chest signaled her frustration. He didn’t want her to shutdown. If it took anger to bring Y/N out of her funk and closer to what he wanted to offer her? Sobeit.

“Feeling things gets you in trouble. Book smarts trump that any day. Don’t open things you don’t really want.”

“When have you ever known me to do so? And when have you ever known me to back down from a challange?”

“With T’Challa,” she joked as he scooped her over his shoulder. Her started yelp closely followed by laughter filled the entryway of her home. Progress M’Baku thought.

“Now, are you done being upset me? Will you consider what I’ve said?” M’Baku teased as she pounded his back with her fists. He held her fast across the waist to stop her from slipping head first onto the floor. Her laughter reverberated down his arms as the fingers of his free hand teased her ribs.

“Yes! Let me down!” He could hear her smile.

M’Baku loosened his grip enough to cascade her body down his chest. He stopped the descent before her feet hit the ground and anchored her at eye level. Looking at her was like seeing her for the first time. Running the rough surface of his thumb across her bottom lip, he studied her. “Epheleleyo kakhulu (so very perfect).”

He felt the thrum of her heart against his chest. It raced just as his own. “Kutheni ndilinde ixesha elide? (Why have I waited so long?)”

Satisfied with imprinting her face into his memories in a whole new light, M’Baku secured her arms around his neck before moving her legs around his waist. The lock of her ankles behind his back did not come as a surprise. He could feel the heaviness of anticipation radiating between them. With Y/N securly intertwined with his body, M’Baku gave her one more longing glance before pressing her back to the nearest wall. What measure of control he had was nearly lost once she tilted her pelvis towards him, seemingly aching to feel him inside her.

Never one to deny her anything, M’Baku used a grip on her waist to slide her along the growing member straining to be freed of his garb. His ears perked at the faintest please escaping her lips. He moved her again, pusing his hips upward to meet the down slope of her body. He rocked her, feeling the fabric between them begin to moisten and then soak. When he ceased all movement, Y/N continued of her own volition, eyes locked tight. Her plea escaped again and he threw all control to the wind. The emerald green blur of her shirt over his shoulder was only a momemtary distraction to the beauty before him. M’Baku dipped his head, his mouth making contact with her skin and then the nipple hardened by both him and the mountain air. The flatness of his tongue laved then circled and flicked. That plea again.

“Louder, uthando (love).” His voice thickened before he latched onto her breast again, alternating between the heat of his lips and tongue and the exhale of air he blew across her straining body. The palm of his massive hand gripped and massaged her other breast, dwarfing it. “I want to hear you. Do not deny me.”

“Please, M’Baku!” Her eyes opened and locked with his.

He’d wanted to savor the moment he could finally have her, but bottoming out inside of her and shattering her body was all he could see in the moment. Using one arm to secure her, M’Baku pressed her shoulders flush against the wall and used the other to jerk her pants from her legs and then dropped his own to his ankles. The thickness of his shaft sprung forward, heavy and full. M’Baku palmed her drenched core. He felt branded by the sheer heat of it; cocky that he could bring her to the brink with nothing more than his tongue on her skin and the weight of her on his dick. He curled a finger inside her and felt her shudder. Amused at his power over her body, he moved his finger in a beckoning motion, encourging her to come in more ways than one. When her legs opened more, he added another. This time he ellicited a gasp and the rolling of her hips, her clit grazing his wrist with every pass.

“Will my heart scream for me? Hmmm?” He beckoned again and he felt her contract around him. Pistoning his fingers, M’Baku studied her face. Her eyes had closed again and her nails were digging into his shoulders. So used to seeing her collected, the sight of her blissful and unhinged was intoxicating. M’Baku wanted to see her completely free. Increasing the movements his fingers until he heard her breath catching in her throat, he withdrew completey. Y/N pulled her eyes open and searched his face.

“Be patient, love. I will see all of you, taste all of you, have all of you.”

Sliding her higher up the wall, he deposited her legs on his shoulders and replaced his fingers with his tongue. He chuckled at the sudden grip of her hands in his hair, her body trying to push away from the flick and plunge. She stuttered out his name when he gripped her thighs and yanked her back to his mouth.

“Don’t run from me, Y/N,” he growled before trying to devour every bit of her. With a final plunge of his tongue, she caved. He felt the shift. She used his mouth, hand in hair pushing and pulling him deeper into her pussy.

“God..please don’t stop...I swear if you do...”

“Who?” He strengthened his grip on her thighs and bounced her on his tongue.

“Jesus, M’Baku!” She threw a hand above her head, palm flat against the wall.

“Again, I ask who?” He bounced her faster.

“Hanuman!”

“Good girl. Worship Hanuman first. Now cum for me.”

Palming Y/N’s ass, he lifted her hips as far as he could while leaving her shoulders flush with the wall. He dipped his tongue deeply into her while using his beard to rasp the inside of her thighs. With each suck of her clit and fuck of his tongue, Y/N’s language broke down until all that was left was single syllables of surprise that lasted until he finally felt her shatter in his arms.

 

***

When your body finally stopped convulsing and you came back into your own mind, M’Baku was sliding you down the wall slowly into his arms. And then there was the stretch of him pushing the head of his rock-hard shaft against your folds before filling you completely in one smooth stroke. Your legs found their lock around his waist again while he started to thrust beneath you. With each collision of your bodies, there was the steady thud of your torso against the wall. M’Baku’s head was buried in the crook of your neck, the hot blasts his breath heating your skin. You loved the sound of his pleasure filtering up to your ears.

Fuck! You are mine, ntliziyo. Every bit of you. Mine.

Before long, his words devolved into growls and grunts that seemed to vibrate the both of you. His thrusts grew rougher. His hands squeezed and molded your ass until you spread further for him, until every inch was embedded and a fullness you’d never felt caused you to call out.

“Louder!” Thrust. Another scream. “Again!” Thrust. Scream. “Not good enough, love. Do you need me to fuck you harder?” he ground out between his teeth.

When your words failed you, M’Baku answered for you by jackhammering into your throbbing core until you clenched and shuddered. This time, your scream echoed in the room. The quiver of your body in his arms sent M’Baku’s seed spilling into your body and you were nearly crushed as he rode it out with you trapped between him and the wall.

When your feet finally touched the floor, your legs were unsteady. The man who’d just used your body in ways it never had been found this amusing. Again, you found yourself slung over his shoulder. This time your eyes started to drift closed and you didn’t fight him. M’Baku pulled you into the shower with him, adjusting the heat before placing his body between you and the spray. He took his time washing every curve and line of your body.

“You have never been invisible. The right person wasn’t looking.”

Deep into the night, your body sprawled atop M’Baku with his arms wrapped around you, the heaviness in your spitit lifted by leaps and bounds. For the time being, the man beneath you was looking directly at you. You weren’t sure for how long this would be true before your status as damaged goods reared its ugly head again. If Kiso had used you as a step up, you knew that M’Baku was a rung too high for you to ever reach. For however long, and in whatever capacity, you’d open yourself to M’Baku and when things cooled down, you’d have to figure out a way to go back to being just his friend.


	5. Chapter 5

Recommended Listening: Fallen by Mya, Don’t Go by Kevin Ross, and It Could Just Be Love by Teyana Taylor

Y/N was dead to the world when M’Baku unfurled her from his frame and covered her again. Wrapping the bottom half of his body in one of the bed’s discarded sheets, he made his way quietly to the kitchen. He opened cabinets, drawers, and the refrigerator pulling items out as he went. Satisfied with his haul, he set about the business of making breakfast. Y/N’s soup had boiled away while they were busy and he set the pot to soak in the deep farm sink. Halfway through chopping potatoes and onions, he heard her feet hit the floor.

“Good morning, love,” he called over his shoulder when he felt her presence enter the room. “Breakfast will be ready shortly. Have a seat.” He waited until he heard the scrape of the chair across the floor before turning and handing her a glass of juice along with a kiss to the forehead. For a small fraction of time, M’Baku thought he was dreaming.

With the morning sun beaming directly onto her still drowsy face, she looked ethereal. His ngelosi (angel). There was no question in his mind that after last night that was exactly what she was. His. For too long had he denied his feelings for her. Masked behind friendly concern, he’d been more than a little jealous to see her attention falling to Kiso. For as diplomatic as he could be, M’Baku’s visit to the other man was more like a drop squad.

He found Kiso leaving combat training and requested his presence away from the rest of the warriors sharpening their skills. Once out of ear and eye shot, M’Baku towered over the other man, pressing forward until Kiso was backed into a corner. The fear in the other man’s eyes should have been enough to placate M’Baku, but it wasn’t. He wanted him to understand every measure of what he was going to say.

“ Y/N is not the woman you should trifle with. Is that understood?”

Kiso’s head bobbed in compliance, but there was something in his eyes M’Baku didn’t care for. Kiso’s hands were gripped tightly at his sides, flexing as if he were trying to hold himself back.

“Is there something you wish to say?” M’Baku gestured towards the man’s hands. “Or do?”

“With all due respect, your highness. What happens between me and Y/N is our business.” M’Baku didn’t like the sarcasm in his voice. “If she confides in you that is her choice. I prefer not to involve anyone else in our affairs.”

“Except the woman you left her for? Hmm?”

“This does not concern her. She is an honorable woman.”

“You say that as if Y/N isn’t.” M’Baku’s arms folded across his chest and he widened his stance.

“It’s a common discussion that she is spoiled. The property of the king,” Kiso practically spat. “She isn’t fit to be a wife.”

Kiso’s mouth moved to continue his slander of Y/N’s name, but it was cut short by M’Baku’s swiftness and the hand that gripped his throat and lifted him from the ground. Tunnel vision set in and M’Baku drew his face as close as he could to the struggling man.

“Speak another disgusting word about her and you’ll beg me to die.” He squeezed. “You were blessed by Hanuman that she even looked in your direction. If a single syllbale of disrespect comes back to my ears there will be hell to pay.”

With no ceremony, M’Baku opened his hand, allowing the choking man to fall to the ground.

“How’d you sleep?” he inquired as he slid a plate of food in front of her. He was trying to break the awkward silencce. He tried to ignore her smirk as she popped a roasted potato into her mouth.

“What was last night about?”

“What happened last night?” M’Baku leaned back against the counter and folded his arms. He tried to hide his pleasure at her lingering gaze on his chest and the makeshift garment cloaking him.

“If these walls could talk...” Y/N couldn’t contain her laughter and soon his bellowing joined hers.

When they caught their breath, M’Baku pushed his body from the counter and took a seat next to her. “Last night, I claimed you as mine.” It was a simple statement that said everything he needed it to. He watched her avert her eyes and look back to him.

“I’ve always been yours, M’Baku. We’ve known each other forever.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it. There has been something here,” he gestured between them. “For a very long time. I am no longer willing to brush it aside or hide it within the confines of friendship.”

When she attempted to rise from the table, he culled her quickly into his lap. “No running, uthando (love). It won’t change anything about what I’m saying.”

Y/N settled into his body and rested her head against his chest A sigh of contentment passed between the two of them. “You know what they say about me, M’Baku. That I’m damaged goods. The king’s concubine.”

Anger rushed into his blood like a river. For the bulk of their adulthood, there had been whispers of such a nature. Very few ever had the boldness of Kiso, but both M’Baku and Y/N were well aware of the gossip concerning their closeness. Y/N slept in his chambers some days. They took their morning rides daily. He supported her in her endeavors and she’d done the same for him. Their friendship had been just that until last night.

It angered M’Baku that the whispers were never about him. They all fell squarely on the shoulders of the woman currently curled in his lap. Before he’d pinned her to the wall and slowly learned every inch of her body in a new way, there’d been no more between them outside of chaste kisses and hugs. And those nights she’d slept in his bed offered no more than his arm around her waist as a comfort. Of course, the thought had crossed his mind on more than one occasion but having her in his life was more important than having her in his bed.

“There is nothing damaged about you. And even if there were, that changes nothing about how I feel for you. I’d pick up each and every piece of and put you back together.”

***

Every word the man holding you firmly to his body was saying lit a bit more of your heart. In all the years you’d known him, M’Baku had never lied to you, never pulled punches, and had never made you feel anything other than loved. So, you believed him when he laid himself bare. It was hard to push your sleepy doubts from the previous evening out of your mind, but you’d try. For him.

“Ndiyazi. Ndiyakukholelwa. (I know. I believe you.)”

You swore you felt the tension leave his body when you pressed your lips to his. Moving to straddle him, you cupped his bearded face in your hands and nipped his mouth quickly before catching his eyes. The warmth of his hands resting on your waist and the absolute adoration in his eyes calmed you.

“Ndiyakuthanda. (I love you.)”

“Ndiyakuthanda.” The smile you could hear in his voice sent flutters through you. 

“So, does this new thing come with more of last night?” You gave M’Baku a wicked smile.

“It is one of the perks,” he teased before taking your mouth. “As much as you want. Whenever you want. Just ask. Or don’t” he laughed with his mouth still pressed against yours.

You weren’t sure just how long you two remained in that position, your chests pressed together, your head on his shoulder, and his hands making smooth passes up and down your spine.

Save the pounding on your door and the calling of his title, you imagined you’d have stayed there for hours. You made movement to remove yourself from his lap, but he held you fast. “Do not move.” He called for the person to enter.

The small space of your foyer was filled with his second in command. You were glad your back was to the door. You could only imagine how this must look. However, you were confident what was seen would never leave the room. M’Baku’s men held him, and his life, in the highest regard.

“Your highness, the tides of the battle in the city is turning. It appears the interloper may be victorious. Shall we act?”

M’Baku rose from the chair, clasping you to his body before placing you gently on your feet. When you moved again to leave him, his hand reached out to yours and you stilled. “We shall. Alert the cadre and prepare to move out.” With a quick bow, the man made his exit.

“I must go, love. That outsider must not ever feel he can conquer every kingdom in Wakanda. I will not have it. Wait for me here.”

You nodded in agreement, despite your heart beating out of your chest. Your love was the greatest warrior you’d ever known, but this was an unknown enemy. Still, you helped him place the heavy pieces of armor on his body before he kissed you deeply and headed out into the morning and into the throes of war.


	6. Chapter 6

Recommended Listening: Weary by Solange

The knot in your stomach refused to leave well after the door closed behind M’Baku and you’d watched him move down the pathway and into the unknown. As a distraction, you busied yourself cleaning the mess left behind by breakfast. When it came to making the bed, you fell face first into the pillows, savoring his scent in the linens. It calmed you. M’Baku was more than capable of handling himself. And he wasn’t alone. There were masses of others fighting alongside him from all corners of Wakanda. He would be fine.

You were still enjoying the high of the woodsy scent of him when the silence of your home was once again broken by pounding on your door. Groaning loudly, you pulled yourself from the bed and swung open the heavy wooden portal. Standing before you was a duo of Jabari infantry. Their faces were set firmly and you were terrified.

“Is he okay?” The words faltered out of your mouth and you had to steady yourself by holding onto the door frame. They were slow to answer and your anger shot out fast and hot. “Answer me!”

“We’ve been ordered by the commander to bring you to the Great Mound.” The fact he hadn’t said M’Baku had requested you made your blood run cold. You let your eyes close while you tried to steady your breathing.

“Medical assistance is needed. We must take you now.” One of the men produced a set of armor similar to their own and you gathered it into your hands without a second thought. 

Shortly after you’d covered your vital organs in the scared Jabari wood plates and pads, you stocked your medical bag and followed the men making a swift path towards their horses which were flanked by your own. The three of you flew towards the horizon at full gallop, barreling through the village and down the mountain until the crest of a hill broke into an open field of chaos. Your eyes quickly found M’Baku, his frame towering over everyone engaged in all manner of bloodshed. You felt you could breathe if only for a moment.

The duo left you at the edge of the battlefield, your supplies held loosely in your hands. Given no instruction, you set about trying to figure out the best way to create a triage area. With nothing that could remotely be used as a sterile surface, you propped your bag atop a boulder and glued your eyes to the rapidly moving body of the man you prayed would come back to you unscathed. He plowed through crowds of men, his rungu slicing through the air and felling them where they stood. You were proud in ways that were unexpected. That warrior belonged to you. Wholly.

When the first man, bloodied and bruised, was dropped at your feet your concentration shifted. There would be time to admire M’Baku and his strength later, but for now it was time to help save the lives of your fellow tribesman. You lost yourself in the number of injured that filtered over to your makeshift battle hospital. You did you best to stitch those with superficial wounds, sending them back out into the field. Those too injured to return, you directed into a caravan that had finally arrived to transport bloodied men and women away to safety.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the waves of bodies stopped. You again found him in the crowd, glad he was still uninjured. The moment he spied you across the field was not lost on you. He’d stilled for the briefest moment, his eyes widening before narrowing in anger. You watched him dispatch men to the right and left as he stalked towards you. In what seemed like a flash, he stood before you in all his beautiful glory. He seemed both amused and concerned at the sight of you in armor.

“Why are you here? This is not safe.” His eyes darted, trying to discern danger before it came anywhere near you.

“I was summoned by the commander. I’m needed here.”

“There are others doctors! I authorized none of this.” He raised a hand and beckoned one of his men. “Take her back to the village. Make sure no harm comes to her.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but any sound was drowned out by the roar of a massive rhino headed directly towards the trio of you. It glittered in the sunlight. Metal plates covered its body and horns. Had it not seemed intent on killing you, it would have been a wonderous sight. The man atop the beast, one of three crashing through the battlefield, held his body low in the woven saddle, his blanket shield alerting you to his border tribe status. The glow of the vibranium blade in his hand was hypnotizing. Or it was until, when on his first past, he sliced the blade low through the air, narrowly missing M’Baku. He circled around and charged full speed. This time the blade connected.

The warmth of blood cascading down your shoulder was sticky. That man had damn good aim. He’d managed to slice at the joint of your breastplate and the epaulets protecting your collarbone and the upper arc of your shoulders. Your arm felt dead. It hung loosely at your side as you clamped your palm onto the wound to slow the bleeding. When you gazed up, M’Baku looked like a statue. His expression was stone and then the air around you was filled with a roar like you’d never heard.

M’Baku swung the rungu, toppling the rider with a crushing blow to the chest. Now without a rider, the rhino careened into the distance before it disappeared from your line of sight. And shortly after that, that very sight flickered and faded.


	7. Chapter 7

Recommended Listening: Climb by Mos Def, Weary by Amel Larrieux, and I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

In battle, concentration can mean the difference between life and death. When M’Baku had looked across the sea of bodies and spotted Y/N among the chaos his feelings had been twofold. He’d found the sight of her in armor endearing. The pieces were clearly not custom fit, but she looked fierce standing among the bodies she’d worked to save. After the softness of that thought had worn off, he was angry. The middle of battle was no place for her and he’d worried that some calamity would befall her before he could whisk her away.

He’d made short work of the men swarming towards him, his focus laser sharp on her. And he’d almost gotten her out of harm’s way. Now, the clatter of the rungu falling from his hand was lost in the clang of metal, cries, and struggles around them. M’Baku watched in slow motion as her hand reached to clasp the wound and blood seeped through her fingers. She looked confused for a fraction of time before her knees buckled and she fell forward. That was enough to wake him from his stupor and he caught her, his hands locking beneath her arms before he secured her to his chest. M’Baku could feel his voice vibrating though him, but he couldn’t hear anything.

The rising body of the rhino’s rider triggered him. He aimed a kick at the man’s chest, crumpling him to the ground once more before he pressed a foot to his throat with the full bulk of his body behind the motion. He watched the man’s hands unsuccessfully trying to pry away the boot cutting off his air. It wasn’t until he heard a broken cough from Y/N that he came back to himself and left the man to a Jabari soldier rapidly approaching. Shielding them behind the boulder she’d built her triage around, M’Baku sank to the ground, pulling pieces of armor away as he did. First the breastplate, then the forearm and shin shields, and finally the rigid plates covering the tops of her shoulders. The oatmeal colored tunic beneath it all was rapidly dying itself red. The wound was deep and by the ashen pall coming over Y/N’s face, he knew she was bleeding out. He used a leather strap ripped from his own clothing to create a tourniquet to staunch the blood pumping steadily out of her body. It appeared to slow and M’Baku again felt his voice rumbling but all around him was silence.

When Y/N started to go limp in his arms, he jostled her. Her eyes fluttered open. She appeared to struggle to focus.

“Nceda ungafi. Hayi ngoku. (Please don’t die. Not now.)” He jostled her again when her head lolled back into the crook of his arm. M’Baku rose from the ground, looped her medical bag across a forearm, and made a beeline for the caravan that was returning from a trip removing the injured. He shouted his orders as he lay Y/N onto the flat surface of the cart and it took off into the distance. In the moment, he didn’t care that he was abandoning his men on the field. He knew he led an army of the strongest warriors Wakanda had and they operated with deadly precision even when he wasn’t there.

By the grace of Hanuman, they made it quickly to a secondary post used by the Jabari when the trek up the mountain was too daunting for a particular day. It was fully stocked with provisions, supplies, and thankfully a clean surface on which M’Baku could lay Y/N. When he nestled her among the starkness of the white sheets, they quickly flowered crimson. The bleeding had slowed, but it hadn’t stopped. M’Baku was grateful for the elder women who’d filtered down from the village to care for those who made it to the outpost. They pushed him with soft wrinkled hands away from the woman he’d just now claimed and was on the verge of losing. He watched them remove the leather from her wound and the spurt of blood that shot forward. He started towards them, but he was again shooed away. He then observed them grinding Jabari wood bark in a mortar and pestle, a few drops of spring water from their home being used to liquefy it. The elixir done, the women gathered her to a sitting position and fed it into her before laying her prone again and covering her with a white sheet. M’Baku shot from across the room but was pinned a few feet away by the dagger sharp look of the woman who seemed to be in charge.

“Let it work,” she cautioned in a hushed voice while pointing to a chair next to Y/N’s still body. The room filled with the joined voices of the women humming deeply in their chests and then the slow drag of words M’Baku had a hard time deciphering. Whatever words, in whatever language they used, was soothing and soon he found the tension leaving his body.

***

The air felt different. It wasn’t the sticky humidity of the Great Mound that had plastered the armor and undergarments to your skin. This air was cool, like home. And it was twilight or early morning dusk. You couldn’t be quite sure. The sky was purple and blue and trails of pink. The land on which you stood seemed to stretch out forever. All around you swirls and drifts of snow fell from the sky. It felt familiar and unknown all in the same moment. In fact, you weren’t sure where you were. The last thing you remembered was M’Baku’s worried face hovering above yours and then the taste of something bitter sliding down your throat.

“You’ve grown into a beautiful woman.” The voice behind you was honeyed and it brought tears to your eyes. You’d been a child the last time you’d heard it. You were afraid to turn, terrified to see what lay behind you and curious to place your eyes on the woman who’d given you life. Before you had a chance to decide, she shimmered into existence before you, just as you remembered her.

You wanted to call to her, but your voice stuck in your throat and all you could muster was the first syllable of mother. If this was a dream, it was the most vivid you’d ever had. Her arms were around you in an instant and the sob that tore from your chest was muffled against her breasts. It had been decades since you’d smelled her. It was the same. Like crisp air and lavender and freshly chopped wood. You inhaled and she chuckled softly at you.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you.” She took a step back to admire you and you clung to her sleeve like a child. “I’m here, usana (baby).” She studied you, cupping your face and passing her palms across your hair and cheeks. You felt treasured. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” Her voiced lost a bit of its levity.

“Where is here?”

“The hereafter.” It was blunt. “The question is why are you here?”

At her words, your hand moved to your shoulder to feel for your wound. Your skin was intact and your fingers didn’t come back bloody. “There’s a battle on the Great Mound. I was doing triage...”

“My baby is a doctor?” Her pride burst forth and warmed you.

“I am. I’m M’Baku’s personal physician and care for villagers, too.”

“And you two are married?” She lifted a brow.

“No. It’s been complicated.”

“What’s complicated, Y/N? It makes all the sense in the world.”

“I was bethrothed to someone else, but it didn’t work out. M’Baku and I are something. I don’t know where it will lead.”

“Don’t make simple things complicated. You two came together as children for a reason. I used to tell your father that boy would be the one who took care of our baby girl.”

“And he does. Very well.”

The conversation lulled and you looked down at her hands. They looked like yours.

“You can’t stay here, Y/N. It’s not your time. There is too much waiting for you on the other side.”

“Can I stay a little while longer? I miss you.” Your voice broke.

“Of course, usana (baby). But not too long. Your body weakens the longer you remain.” It was then she took your hand and led you into the snow. 

The two of you were quiet for a long moment. She tensed and started to speak, stopped, and started again. 

“Going back will be difficult. There are things you’ve lost you are unaware of at the moment. Allow him to care for you, please. Council him and challenge him, but trust him above all else. There is greatness to be had if you allow it. Do it for the Jabari, but also for yourselves. When it is time, I will be here waiting for you.” 

She pulled you close again, her scent enveloping you as you closed your eyes. Everything was lavender. Everything was white. Until everything was nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

Recommended Listening: Destiny by Zero 7 and Un-thinkable (I’m Ready) by Alicia Keys

The sun was breaking over the outpost when M’Baku’s eyes flickered open. When his body had given in and drifted off into darkness he couldn’t be sure, but he was still seated on the low chair next to Y/N’s body, which remained covered by the white sheet. His hand reached out to remove it. 

“Leave it!” The whip of the voice made him drop his hand. “She is still among the living, your highness.” The addition of his title seemed a way to ease the mask of impatience and fear on his face. The elder woman approached from the far corner of the room with a steaming mug in her thin hands. She gestured it towards him. The strong armoa of the coffee brought his stomach to life and he accepted it with a nod of thanks.

“What was the liquid you gave her?” He’d never been privy to some of the more traditional healing methods the elders practiced. He knew Y/N had received extensive training and he was confident she would have been well versed in the bark elixir.

“A gateway to the hereafter.” She raised a hand when M’Baku scowled and started towards her. “Sit. Similar to what the Panther tribe uses, ours can also heal while the subject is under its sway. Unlike the Panther tribe, it does not offer enhancements. She is awake in her head, but we will soon have to bring her back to us.”

She moved towards Y/N with a small white cloth in her hands and quickly draped it across her face as she drew the sheet away. Her hands worked towards the wound on Y/N’s shoulder. It was still an angry red, turning dark at the edges of the split. “I’d hoped it would heal much faster than this. Our supplies are limited here. Alas, we will take what Hanuman provides and wake her soon. I shall gather the others.” Replacing the sheet, she left M’Baku alone in the outpost.

When the click of the door was fully absored into the air, M’Baku set the mug on the floor next to him. He ached to touch her, any part of her, but he was disuaded by even the remote possibility it would harm her. He settled instead on the steady rise and fall of her chest.

“If you wanted my attention all you had to do was ask, sweetheart.” He tried to bring brightness to his voice. The cornerstone of his friendship with Y/N was their ability to joke, poke, and irritate each other. In this instance he failed. “This isn’t fair. All this time and when I finally claim you, this? I will not accept anything other than what we began. So you come back to me, Y/N.” He paused to clear the thickness from his voice.

The familiar hum from the previous night perked his ears and soon after the gathering of women reappeared in the room, ringing the table and pushing him to the corner. The heavy grind of the mortar and pestle gave way to the slosh of liquid. Again, M’Baku watched Y/N brought to a sitting position and her mouth filled. She looked pale, dark eyed, and nothing like the beaming brown woman he knew.

When the women were satisfied enough of the brew had settled into her system, they beckoned to him.

“Hold her. When she awakes she will need something familar to anchor her.”

Needing no other encouragement, M’Baku hooked his arms at opposite ends of her body and followed the women into the bright sunshine just outside of the outpost door. The wait seemed endless until he felt a flicker of movement. Y/N stirred, her breahing becoming more uneven until she fully awoke in a rack of sobs. Although they were heavy, her eyes looked wild.

“Mo..th..er...” It was a broken cry that ripped the last pieces of M’Baku’s heart. It was all he could do to press her tighter to his chest and rain kisses across her fevered skin.

“Shhh, ntliziyo. I am here.” He pulled her hand to his heart and held it there until she connected her eyes to his and her breathing evened.

Sometime later, M’Baku cradled Y/N in the back of his official caravan. His head filled with instuctions from the elders, he adjusted the furs around her refusing to let an inch of her body leave his. Seated across from him, his second in command briefed him on the battle’s outcome. As he’d expected, T’Challa had been returned to the throne and all was back in it’s place in Wakanda. He could not care less. Of the utmost importance was Y/N’s recovery and how he planned to cherish for the rest of his natural life and beyond.

Later that evening, M’Baku stood before the massive windows of his bed chambers. Before him the twinkling of his kingdom turning down for the evening was a welcome moment of peace. Behind him, burrowed in his bed, Y/N was soundly sleeping after a series of traditional and modern pain relievers and antibiotics. Even in this short time, her skin had regained some of its color and her brow was no longer damp with fever. And although he wished it was for both of their pleasure, her nude form was strictly for function.

M’Baku placed a palm against the glass and allowed the cold to shake him from his thoughts.

“M’Baku?” The voice was quiet, but it was the greatest thing he’d ever heard.

“I am here, my love.” In a few long strides he was kneeling next to the bed, the back of his hand against her forehead. “What is it that you require?”

She outstretched her arms as far as she could. “You. Please.”

Never to argue with anything she wanted, M’Baku moved his body into the bed and pulled her atop his frame. Her head found its place next to his heart. Before his eyes closed momentarily in contentment, M’Baku studied her face. She was on her way to recovery, but still he wanted her beautiful glowing skin back and those chocolate eyes challenging him at every turn.

“Anything else?” He couldn’t keep the smile from his voice and she met his laugher.

“More of you.” There was mischief in her words and he cocked an eyebrow.

“No.”

“And I quote... ‘As much as you want. Whenever you want. Just ask. Or don’t’. Is that not what I was promised or have I fallen in love with a snake oil salesman?”

“Fallen in love? Do tell, little one.”

“Such a sucker for affection.” M’Baku was glad she seemed stronger, buoyed back into life, by their banter. “Yes, Great Gorilla M’Bkau, I do love you. More than I know what to do with.”

“And?”

Y/N clicked her teeth. “And you are the strongest, most virile, bravest, most intelligent tactical mind the Jabari has ever seen. Happy?”

“Immensely. And I love you.”

“And?” It was his turn to sigh. “I give. You give.” She managed a half shrug.

“You are the most stunningly beautiful, talented, caring, sarcastic, supportive, and challenging woman the Jabari seed has ever produced. Satisfied?”

She smirked. “Not quite.”

Before he could stop her, Y/N lifted her body to straddle him. Like moth to flame, his hands found their way to her waist and held her steady. His body stirred. “No.”

“Who are you to deny me?”

“The man who loves you and who is charged with making sure you heal.”

“Then he should be aware that this…” Her hand closed around the hardening flesh between his legs. “Is very much needed for her recovery.”

His protest was quelled by her mouth descending onto his. The graze of her breasts against his chest seemed to shut down his rational thought and before he was aware of what he was doing, he’d flipped her body beneath his, their smiling faces a hair away from each other.

“I can see claiming you has done nothing for your challenges to my authority.”

“You’d have it no other way,” she quipped before locking her legs around his waist. “Now, please fulfill your promise. I will not ask again.”


	9. Chapter 9

Recommended Listening: Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) by Solange and Settle For My Love by Musiq Soulchild

“What will you have me do?” The blunt tip of M’Baku’s finger traveled a leisurely path from the splay of your hip to the nape of your neck. His gaze never wavered. It was as if he was trying to memorize each bit of you, storing the memories away for safekeeping.

For anyone else, political strategizing would have been out of place after several rounds of intense lovemaking, but where the two of you were concerned it was nothing short of normal.

“What you always have. Protect and lead your people here. In time, those in the valley will need you, us. Then we have the power to negotiate.”

He grunted with a bit of surprise behind the noise. “What better gift for a king to have at his side than a wise queen.”

Your breath hitched. “Queen? I’m quite sure you know the best path for the Jabari. You wouldn’t sit on the throne if you did not.”

“I appreciate your attempt to avoid your title.”

“My title? M’Baku, way too soon.”

“How so? We’ve grown together our entire lives. I know your heart, your body, your mind and you know mine. What, dear heart, is too soon about that?” His single finger was now a full palm resting on the small of your back.

“This thing…relationship?” You looked puzzled. “is days old. That is too soon to know if you want me by your side for the rest of your life.”

He gave you an eye roll. “Again, I ask how that is any different than any year before this one? Each leg of my journey has seen you beside me. And for as far I can see that will not change. Why do you fight against this?”

You pushed down a bit of irritation at his insistence. You were afraid to admit that the thought of allowing him to love you was overwhelming. With Kiso, there had always been distance. You accepted him as he was and he allowed your aloofness to go unimpeded. Perhaps that was why it had been so easy for him to leave you. Why it had been easier than it should have been to let him go.

“I’m afraid. Of what? So many things. Not living up to the title I’d hold. Of not being a good mother to your children. What if I become just another duty strapped to your back?”

M’Baku unleashed a furious growl and pinned your body beneath his. You expected anger when your eyes roamed to his, but instead you found his face relaxed and full of adoration. The back of one massive hand stroked your cheek before trailing the rough pad of a thumb across your lips.

“Sithandwa sam, there will never come a day any of that will be true of the woman I’ve given my heart to.” He planted a kiss at the crux of your neck.

“We would be honored to have you as queen, one of great intelligence and compassion.” His lips settled on your collarbone.

“Hanuman be merciful, a bounty of children would be proud to call you mother.” One muscled arm slid beneath your body, anchored you to the man beaming down at you.

“You could never be a duty. You are, and will be, my respite and haven from the world.” Another muscled arm lifted one leg around his waist.

“There is never another thing in this world you should fear. Give those burdens to me.”

He kissed you then, slowly, achingly languid until your head spun as he guided himself into you. Glad for the open gasp of your mouth, he dipped again into the sweetness. The drag of his mouth across yours matched the plunging and withdrawing of his strokes. Each time your body settled into the fullness and stretch of being filled, he emptied you. Then he crashed back into your core again and again and again. M’Baku’s body canopied above you, his voice now filling your ear with his moans.

Still anchored to him by his corded arm, he made a carousel of your body, pulled you up into each stroke until the jagged sound of his name filled the room. Still there was no rest. Instead, still deep inside of you, he waited until the shudder of your body ceased before gripping both of your hips and using your body for his pleasure only. You let go. Allowed him to completely unhinge and fuck you. This was not lovemaking. You could feel the desperation of nearly losing you as he slammed into your drenched pussy. Behind each bite of your skin, every slap of your ass, every bruise of his fingers around your throat, you knew this was his fear manifesting. This was his control and you let him have every bit of it.

Your voice was hoarse, barely audible as another climax imploded in your stomach and then exploded out every pore. At the tail end of your scream, M’Baku’s strokes slowed, became hard enough to bounce you from the mattress, your body reverberating. You felt him losing control of his strokes, his grip on you tightening until the crush of his full weight came down on you, the warmness of his seed pulsing between your bodies.

Long after last night became the next morning, you and M’Baku lay tangled in each other’s limbs. You listened to the snores that were so familiar, felt the same weighted arm across your waist, and gazed into the same face of the man who’d always been there. You loved him. That was as constant and as steady as Jabari tradition, a life you hoped you would proudly uphold at his side and would be passed on to your children.

Epilogue:

There was no greater energy than the whole of the Jabari coming together in celebration. This day, banners fluttered in the crisp mountain winds and the sounds of drums filled the air. Food laden tables were arranged family style while bottles of handmade wines chilled in intricately carved buckets. The center of the village had been transformed for the pending vows of M’Baku and Y/N, however they were nowhere to be found.

On their morning ride, M’Baku watched Y/N from the corner of his eye. Mounted atop her silvery gray steed, the sable colored fur hood framed her face and cascaded around her shoulders. A few wayward strands of her thick hair whipped in the air. Her gaze was focused on the vista before them as she tucked the curls back into place. Saddling up next to her, he pushed his own black hood from his head.

“You’ve seen this sight a thousand times before, love.”

“I have. And my heart still leaps.” The admiration in her voice was unmistakable. He understood. His heart stilled each time he gazed at her. He was proud. Y/N would make a wonderful queen, but even more he was joyous his lover and his best friend were all housed in the glorious woman deeply breathing the mountain air.

“We’ll be late. I promise we will come back each morning for the rest of our lives.’”

She smiled at him, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Promise?” 

Then with a shouted command to her horse, she darted into the horizon with M’Baku close on her heels.


End file.
